April 01--MUNICH -- Munich airport is a hectic place where the noise from mobile phones and the thousands of people milling about means it is difficult to find a quiet corner to relax.
However, travellers can now purchase access to eight small soundproof self-service units called Napcabs that are equipped with amenities such as double beds, work-tables and air conditioning units.
More and more large international airports are offering the option of on-site sleeping pods to travellers faced with a lengthy layover or delay. The weary are looking to snatch a couple of hours' rest on flat bed before flying on to their next destination.
The door to the capsule containing a bed measuring 2 metres by 80 centimetres is opened with the swipe of a credit card "Guests can relax and recuperate here," explains Joerg Pohl, spokesman for Napcabs, which is looking to extend its business model worldwide.
Around 5,500, mainly travellers in transit, have availed themselves of Munich airport's overnight service so far.
"Only a few of our guests come from Germany," says Pohl.
Access to the sleep pods costs 15 euros (19 dollars) per hour during the day although the price drops to 10 euros at night.
"The capsule might be a cheap option for travellers in transit, but it is not a suitable base for a holiday stay," says Sibylle Zeuch from the German Travel Association in Berlin, a lobby group for the hotel industry. "Still, it's better than a camp bed in the open terminal."
The concept has its origins in Japanese capsule hotels, first developed around 1980, and is designed for travellers looking to relax or work in private without having to pay for a traditional hotel room or leave the airport.
The Munich cubicles are 1.65 by 2.7 metres, quite a bit bigger than the original Japanese capsules.
Zeuch is not certain whether the German version of the idea will take off globally, noting that is a question of mentality.
The German International Hotel Association (IHA) believes the idea has only limited application in the European market.
"The needs and sleeping requirements for European guests are simply not comparable with those of Asian guests," says IHA spokesperson Benedikt Wolbeck.
There are similar capsule hotels in Moscow, Amsterdam, Atlanta and New York, while there are 100 mini-hotels in Tokyo alone.
Travellers at London's Heathrow, the third-largest airport in the world, can check into a particularly stylish capsule hotel.
Its cubicles are much bigger than those in Munich.
The "Yotel" in Terminal 4 opened in 2007 and its rooms are bathed in violet light, resembling the interior of a passenger aircraft. Visitors can fly first-class without ever having to leave the ground, explains Yotel spokeswoman Greta Vanhersecke.
Yotel rooms measure 7 square metres in size and travellers have access to an alcove bed, free wi-fi, a workstation, a shower and a flat-screen television. The accommodation costs 25 pounds (38 dollars) for four hours.
Simon Woodroffe, the founder of Yotel, wanted to establish a less claustrophobic version of the Japanese sleeping concept in western markets, explains Vanhersecke. The idea has certainly been a success to date, with Yotels also opening in London's Gatwick Airport in 2007 and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport in 2008. The rooms are designed by the same company that manufactures the interiors of long-haul aircraft.
http://www.hotel-online.com/News/2013_Apr_01/k.DPA.1364842670.html
However, travellers can now purchase access to eight small soundproof self-service units called Napcabs that are equipped with amenities such as double beds, work-tables and air conditioning units.
More and more large international airports are offering the option of on-site sleeping pods to travellers faced with a lengthy layover or delay. The weary are looking to snatch a couple of hours' rest on flat bed before flying on to their next destination.
The door to the capsule containing a bed measuring 2 metres by 80 centimetres is opened with the swipe of a credit card "Guests can relax and recuperate here," explains Joerg Pohl, spokesman for Napcabs, which is looking to extend its business model worldwide.
Around 5,500, mainly travellers in transit, have availed themselves of Munich airport's overnight service so far.
"Only a few of our guests come from Germany," says Pohl.
Access to the sleep pods costs 15 euros (19 dollars) per hour during the day although the price drops to 10 euros at night.
"The capsule might be a cheap option for travellers in transit, but it is not a suitable base for a holiday stay," says Sibylle Zeuch from the German Travel Association in Berlin, a lobby group for the hotel industry. "Still, it's better than a camp bed in the open terminal."
The concept has its origins in Japanese capsule hotels, first developed around 1980, and is designed for travellers looking to relax or work in private without having to pay for a traditional hotel room or leave the airport.
The Munich cubicles are 1.65 by 2.7 metres, quite a bit bigger than the original Japanese capsules.
Zeuch is not certain whether the German version of the idea will take off globally, noting that is a question of mentality.
The German International Hotel Association (IHA) believes the idea has only limited application in the European market.
"The needs and sleeping requirements for European guests are simply not comparable with those of Asian guests," says IHA spokesperson Benedikt Wolbeck.
There are similar capsule hotels in Moscow, Amsterdam, Atlanta and New York, while there are 100 mini-hotels in Tokyo alone.
Travellers at London's Heathrow, the third-largest airport in the world, can check into a particularly stylish capsule hotel.
Its cubicles are much bigger than those in Munich.
The "Yotel" in Terminal 4 opened in 2007 and its rooms are bathed in violet light, resembling the interior of a passenger aircraft. Visitors can fly first-class without ever having to leave the ground, explains Yotel spokeswoman Greta Vanhersecke.
Yotel rooms measure 7 square metres in size and travellers have access to an alcove bed, free wi-fi, a workstation, a shower and a flat-screen television. The accommodation costs 25 pounds (38 dollars) for four hours.
Simon Woodroffe, the founder of Yotel, wanted to establish a less claustrophobic version of the Japanese sleeping concept in western markets, explains Vanhersecke. The idea has certainly been a success to date, with Yotels also opening in London's Gatwick Airport in 2007 and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport in 2008. The rooms are designed by the same company that manufactures the interiors of long-haul aircraft.
http://www.hotel-online.com/News/2013_Apr_01/k.DPA.1364842670.html
No comments:
Post a Comment